Palestinian NGO denies Hamas ties, threatens Israel with lawsuit

UNITED NATIONS, June 2 (Reuters) - The British-based
Palestinian Return Centre on Tuesday threatened Israel's U.N.
mission with legal action after the Jewish state accused it of
having ties to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an
allegation the group said was false.

The Israeli accusations came after a United Nations
committee that oversees non-governmental organizations voted to
approve U.N accreditation for the PRC, which Israel's mission
said was not only linked to Hamas but promoted "anti-Israel
propaganda in Europe."

"We announce that PRC is considering legal action against
the Israeli delegation at the U.N.," the group said in a
statement circulated to the 19-member U.N. Committee on
Non-Governmental Organizations.

"We also hold them accountable for the safety and security
of our members worldwide," the group said. "Such allegations and
defamation where we are described as terrorist and affiliated to
Hamas are dangerous, baseless and will have negative
ramifications on our work and members."

The statement offered no details on the type of legal action
the group might take against the Israeli mission.

The Israeli mission did not have an immediate response to
the PRC's threat. On Monday the mission said Israel had banned
the PRC in 2010 because of its ties to Hamas, labeling it "an
organizational and coordinating wing of Hamas in Europe" with
members that include senior Hamas officials.

The PRC operates as a legal entity in Britain. The British
mission did not react to Monday's vote in the U.N. NGO
committee.

The United States and European Union have designated Hamas,
the de facto authority of the Gaza Strip, a terrorist
organization. The internationally recognized Palestinian
Authority controls the West Bank.

The PRC statement said the Israeli allegations had no
credence and were solely based on Israeli intelligence and other
sources from within Israel. It added that there was no
corroborating evidence from a third country.

The PRC said it would soon send an official letter of
protest to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the 54 member
states of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which
has final say on NGO-related matters.

On its website, the PRC describes itself as "an independent
consultancy focusing on the historical, political and legal
aspects of the Palestinian Refugees."

Official U.N. status as an NGO gives groups access to U.N.
premises and opportunities to attend or observe many events and
conferences at United Nations sites around the world.
(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau)